The Architects Grimshaw have produced an installation for John Lewis Department Store in London’s Oxford Street that is constructed using suspended cardboard tubes. The cardboard tubes all vary in length and are suspended between sheets of clear acrylic with holes cut through.

Following the debut of the installation at the Oxford Street Store, it then moved around the country to Liverpool, Edinburgh and Cardiff, three of the UK’s other largest cities.

The modular design of the installation allows for a range of different configurations at each of the different department stores. The tubes can either be used as display areas for the products or for separating screens between the products.

John Lewis approached Grimshaw to design and provide a temporary exhibition and event space to showcase the Oxford Street Stores many designers. This unique pop up installation required an innovative proposal which combined exhibition design with architecture. And this would enable John Lewis to promote their brand in an exciting space.

The Precedent

I have chosen this for a precedent for my Urban Room pop up exhibition because I plan on using the tube shape within my design. I would like to explore the possibility of having my tubes vertical rather than horizontal so that visitors can walk into the tube spaces and be inside them.

I would like some sort of modular aspect to my design as my Urban Room could be placed anywhere within Northampton so would need to be able to expand if necessary.